resume writinghttp://www.wisebread.com/taxonomy/term/10946/all
en-US6 Dumb Things Employment Recruiters See People Dohttp://www.wisebread.com/6-dumb-things-employment-recruiters-see-people-do
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<p>Back in the day I used to work as a &quot;headhunter&quot; for companies on a national basis. It certainly was an eye-opener to discover what people will or won&rsquo;t say when it comes to the <a href="http://www.wisebread.com/job-hunting-tips">hunt for a good job</a>. It always surprised me that so-called professional people seeking six-figure incomes kept making the same juvenile mistakes over and over when looking for a new job. Personally, I always felt if these people were writing &quot;great written communication skills&quot; on a resume where their names were misspelled, they were not fit to be called upon for vacancies.</p>
<p>Whether or not you are using a recruiter for your job search, there is a good chance you are also making the same mistakes I used to see time and time again. Even now when helping family and friends update their resumes I see many common errors that could cost you a shot at a good job.</p>
<p>Here are six dumb things you should consider before turning in a resume if you really want that job. (See also: <a href="http://www.wisebread.com/8-job-getting-tips-from-a-guy-whos-hired-500-people-in-the-past-5-years">8 Job-Getting Tips From a Guy Who's Hired 500&nbsp;People in the Last 5 Years</a>)</p>
<h3>1. Just Running&nbsp;Spell Check and Sending Off the Resume</h3>
<p>I often wondered if people even read what they had turned into our recruiting office. While that may sound funny, I bet many people never actually went back and read through their entire resume before attaching it to their email. As a result, there were so many stupid mistakes, but these potential candidates claimed they paid great attention to detail. Right!</p>
<p>While technology gives us the convenience of spell check and a built-in thesaurus, you need to rely on your brain to make sure your resume actually makes sense. As months go by, make sure you are updating your resume each time a change occurs. Lots of candidates lost out on jobs when their emails were returned to me as non-working or phone numbers had changed.</p>
<h3>2. Not Promoting Yourself Properly</h3>
<p>I cannot count how many times I have received a resume from an executive-level candidate that was basically a fill-in-the-blank template. It is understandable you would want to have a resource to help you draft your resume, but if you are looking at an executive position, you should be able to do more than fill in some blanks about yourself.</p>
<p>Your resume is a summary of your career and achievements and should work for you, not against you. Complete several drafts of your information until you are able to provide a clear, concise, and accurate summary in a professional-looking format.</p>
<h3>3. Not Defining What You&nbsp;Want</h3>
<p>As part of a resume, you have the opportunity to express your interests and <a href="http://www.wisebread.com/how-to-avoid-getting-hired">job preferences</a> in the top section usually labeled as &quot;Objective.&quot; Simply stating that you want a paying job is just not good enough. It&rsquo;s already obvious you want a job &mdash; thus the resume submission. You should be more specific about what you are looking for within the specific position being offered. If you can&rsquo;t tell the hiring agent what you want to do, don&rsquo;t expect many opportunities to get hired.</p>
<h3>4. Not Reading the Job Posting</h3>
<p>It was very frustrating to read the many resumes and cover letters that came in that had absolutely no relevance to the actual position to be filled. Whenever you submit a resume for an advertised position, be sure to craft your cover letter and gear your resume toward the actual requirements of the job. Not all jobs are the same, but if you are sending the same information over and over, don&rsquo;t be surprised when you don&rsquo;t get a call for an interview. Let the employer know why you would be a good fit for the position that is available. If you don&rsquo;t stand out in some way, you will surely sit at the bottom of the pile.</p>
<h3>5.&nbsp;Not Properly Utilizing the Cover Letter</h3>
<p>Granted, many people do not learn the art of resume writing in high school or maybe even in college, but there are enough free resources available to give you a clear idea of what is expected when you are applying for a job using a resume. A cover letter should be attached to your resume with every submission. This cover letter can make or break your chances for getting further in the hiring process. You have a chance to <a href="http://www.wisebread.com/want-to-get-hired-be-memorable">capture the employer&rsquo;s attention</a> in this letter to make them want to keep reading. Cover letters should be professional looking, well written, and relevant to the job vacancy. Go online or to the library and brush up on the <a href="http://www.wisebread.com/stupid-things-to-put-in-your-cover-letter">fundamentals of a resume cover letter</a>.</p>
<h3>6. Thinking Resumes Don't Matter</h3>
<p>Jobs are already tough to come by, and every level of job is highly competitive. Don&rsquo;t slack on creating a good resume for yourself even if you have to pay for assistance. If you do hire someone, play an active part in creating your resume and don&rsquo;t expect your writer to just make up information that looks good on paper. Your input is vital to a truthful resume.</p>
<p>Don&rsquo;t forget to get a list of references together prior to submitting one to a potential employer and double check with every person on that list that you have their permission to be used as a contact. There have been many occasions in my run as a recruiter where references were clueless when contacted which makes a candidate look irresponsible.</p>
<p>Your resume and cover letter is your first impression on a recruiter or potential employer. If you want to stay in the competition, you need to ensure you are providing the best representation of yourself to the employer so you can be successful at securing a job of your choice.</p>
<br /><div id="custom_wisebread_footer"><div id="rss_tagline">This article is from <a href="http://www.wisebread.com/tisha-tolar">Tisha Tolar</a> of <a href="http://www.wisebread.com/6-dumb-things-employment-recruiters-see-people-do">Wise Bread</a>, an award-winning personal finance and <a href="http://www.wisebread.com/credit-cards">credit card comparison</a> website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:</div><div class="view view-similarterms view-id-similarterms view-display-id-block_2 view-dom-id-1">
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<span class="field-content"><a href="http://www.wisebread.com/want-to-get-hired-be-memorable">Want to Get Hired? Be Memorable.</a></span>
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<span class="field-content"><a href="http://www.wisebread.com/new-year-new-resume">New Year, New Resume</a></span>
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</div> </div><br/></br>Job Huntingcover lettersrecruitersresume writingMon, 12 Nov 2012 10:36:43 +0000Tisha Tolar955168 at http://www.wisebread.com10 Classes That Can Pay for Themselveshttp://www.wisebread.com/10-classes-that-can-pay-for-themselves
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<p>Classes already help you grow as a person, but a lot of classes offer more than knowledge &mdash; they offer a way to make money in the long run, whether it be through resume-building skills or honing a particular crafty talent. Below is a list of 10 classes that can pay for themselves. But remember &mdash; you only get out of a class what you put into it, so expect to do a little grunt work. (See also: <a href="http://www.wisebread.com/10-awesome-money-making-hobbies">10 Awesome Money-Making Hobbies</a>)</p>
<h3>1. Business Class</h3>
<p>Small business incubators are popping up in cities across the country. Most are non-profits, there to help wannabe entrepreneurs figure out what they need to make their business idea work. Others are offered by a city or town, there to help the community grow. I&rsquo;m currently taking a collaborative business class from <a href="http://www.launchchattanooga.org/">Launch Chattanooga</a>. Learning how to market my ideas and budget my money and time, as well as meeting my fellow community members, has already made the class well worth it.</p>
<h3>2. Language Class</h3>
<p>The ultimate benefit? Understanding half the people around you. Living in New York, I heard languages from all around the world, but I could never understand a word they said. While learning a language isn&rsquo;t easy, it&rsquo;s rewarding, and learning in a class environment gives you a chance to practice. Try to pick a language that could help you professionally. Do your research &mdash; if there is an international company in town, there are likely bilingual jobs available.</p>
<h3>3. Cooking Class</h3>
<p>If you&rsquo;re in a relationship, this is a great date option. Not only do you get to hone your cooking skills, but you also get a chance to eat a meal prepared together. And of course, <a href="http://www.wisebread.com/20-great-once-a-month-cooking-recipes">eating in is usually cheaper than dining out</a>.</p>
<h3>4. Exercise Class</h3>
<p>The obvious advantages of an exercise class are a slimmer tummy, tighter muscles, etc., but an exercise class can also give you confidence in yourself. And classes are far better than DVDs, especially when it comes to <a href="http://www.wisebread.com/where-to-find-free-or-cheap-yoga-classes">complicated yoga moves</a>. Additionally, doing a class with others gives you an opportunity to network and create lasting friendships. I have a ton of friends who have done <a href="http://www.crossfit.com/">CrossFit</a>, and they hang out with their fellow class members on a regular basis.</p>
<h3>5. Certification Class</h3>
<p>From CPR to computer skills, a certification can go a long way on a resume. If anything, it shows that you&rsquo;re a fast learner (especially since a lot of those classes move quickly), have the wherewithal to accomplish personal goals and tasks, and, especially in the case of computer certifications, can use a variety of programs. And who knows, maybe one day <a href="http://www.good.is/post/is-the-certificate-the-new-college-degree/">certificate programs will replace college degrees</a>.</p>
<h3>6. Writing Class</h3>
<p>When I was considering a major for college, all advisors told me the same thing &mdash; my major didn&rsquo;t matter as long as I learned how to communicate. They were right. The more I move through society and consider a &ldquo;career,&rdquo; the only thing that matters is the fact that I can communicate well. Since college, I&rsquo;ve taken a writing class, and it not only gave me a renewed sense of purpose for my writing career, but also helped me develop my communication skills just a little more. These classes help you express yourself, and when it comes down to it, expressing yourself is one of the most important things to know how to do.</p>
<h3>7. Photography Class</h3>
<p>While you might think that stunning picture that you took of a mountain proves you have skills, unfortunately, it&rsquo;s probably just your camera and its nifty automatic settings. Why not take a class and learn how to use that camera at night (something I struggle with &mdash; everything always comes out so blurry) and what terms like aperture mean? You&rsquo;ll walk away with an appreciation of all things beautiful and probably some original pictures of family and friends.</p>
<h3>8. Improv Class</h3>
<p>Improv classes are the perfect way to open up and become more personable in everyday situations. I&rsquo;ve seen it with my own eyes &mdash; people who are naturally shy slowly come alive through improvisation. Improv also generally has a fantastic, supportive community. While some might be doing it to get ahead, most are just having fun. By the end of a few classes, you&rsquo;ll be more able to talk to strangers, network at work functions and, most importantly, laugh.</p>
<h3>9. Craft Class</h3>
<p>What you get out of this is a craft (duh). And crafting skills. And craftiness. Okay, maybe not the last one, but you will walk away from this class with a tangible product, whether it be pottery or painting or sewing. There are a lot of painting and drinking classes nowadays too, which is perfect for a grown-up birthday party.</p>
<h3>10. Resume Writing Class</h3>
<p><a href="http://www.wisebread.com/how-to-write-a-resume-12-steps-to-your-next-job">Writing a resume</a> is, in my opinion, one of the most important skills a person can possess. You may have worked your butt off at a job and know everything there is to know, but if you don&rsquo;t know how to express it on a resume, you&rsquo;ll never get called for an interview. I used to suffer from this problem, unfortunately. I ended up using my friend&rsquo;s knowledge of &ldquo;good&rdquo; resumes, and once she fixed mine up, I got calls non-stop. If you know you can do the job, you should get the job &mdash; don&rsquo;t sell yourself short on your resume.</p>
<p><em>What are some classes you&rsquo;ve reaped more than just knowledge from?</em></p>
<br /><div id="custom_wisebread_footer"><div id="rss_tagline">This article is from <a href="http://www.wisebread.com/jennifer-holder">Jennifer Holder</a> of <a href="http://www.wisebread.com/10-classes-that-can-pay-for-themselves">Wise Bread</a>, an award-winning personal finance and <a href="http://www.wisebread.com/credit-cards">credit card comparison</a> website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:</div><div class="view view-similarterms view-id-similarterms view-display-id-block_2 view-dom-id-1">
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</div> </div><br/></br>Education & TrainingPersonal Developmentclassescontinuing educationhobby businessresume writingWed, 13 Jun 2012 10:24:15 +0000Jennifer Holder935067 at http://www.wisebread.comWant to Get Hired? Be Memorable.http://www.wisebread.com/want-to-get-hired-be-memorable
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<p>There is a lot of great, useful advice out there about how to get hired. Spending time on your resume, researching the company, dressing sharp...they're all important.&nbsp;But there's one piece of advice that I feel like has personally helped me the most in my hiring experiences that I don't see often enough in articles about getting a job &mdash; be memorable. (See also: <a href="http://www.wisebread.com/stupid-things-to-put-in-your-cover-letter">Stupid Things to Put in Your Cover Letter</a>)</p>
<p>When I say be memorable, don't take this as an excuse to be ridiculous (&quot;Yes, this is a bright purple suit with a red shirt; thank you for noticing!&quot;), brash (&quot;You will hire me &mdash; I am more talented than the entire cast of <em>Glee</em>&quot;), or other kinds of stupid (&quot;Thanks for interviewing me; I brought you roses&quot;). Those examples might be a little over the top, but I think (or, at least, very strongly hope) that you get the gist.</p>
<p>What I mean by memorable is providing information that sticks out in people's minds without overshadowing your qualifications or making you seem, uh, crazy. Let me give you an example from my own experience. When I was in high school, my summer job was working at a small amusement park. I performed in shows, ran rides, and did my share of cleaning bathrooms, but I also regularly performed as Cinderella (yes, I know I'm a brunette &mdash; trust me, the thing kids care about the most is a pretty dress). Before I garnered enough professional experience to bump it off my resume, I always included my work at the amusement park. And at the first few &quot;adult&quot; job interviews I ever had, every single person I spoke with brought up Cinderella &mdash; often in the context of &quot;when we saw that, we knew we had to bring you in.&quot;</p>
<p>While the amusement park hasn't been park of my resume for several years, there are other ways I've made an effort to be memorable. On most resumes I've sent out &mdash; I'm a firm believer in editing your resume for each job you're applying for &mdash; I've included a &quot;special skills&quot; section. I typically use this section to highlight a mix of skills that could be useful for the job, such as &quot;conversational Italian,&quot; and skills that are interesting or unique, such as &quot;puppet construction and manipulation&quot; or &quot;cake decorating.&quot; Don't overload the section with a laundry list of hobbies, just pick a couple of interesting skills that could stick out in a hiring manager's mind.</p>
<p>Another technique that I had a lot of success with when I was <a href="http://www.wisebread.com/how-to-find-freelance-clients-part-one">freelancing</a> full-time was playing with the subject line of emails. When I wrote ones like &quot;Writer Available for Web Copy Job,&quot; my hear-back rate was pretty low. But after I changed my line to &quot;Professional and Spunky Writer Available for Web Copy Job,&quot; responses shot up &mdash; and they'd often cite how unusual it was to see &quot;spunky&quot; as part of the response.</p>
<p>Tricks like this aren't magic bullets, and they definitely aren't a replacement for hard work, preparation, and a good attitude. But they can be what separates you from the rest of the job hunters.</p>
<p><em>What do you think? Do you have something you use to make yourself memorable when applying for jobs? If so, what?</em></p>
<br /><div id="custom_wisebread_footer"><div id="rss_tagline">This article is from <a href="http://www.wisebread.com/meg-favreau">Meg Favreau</a> of <a href="http://www.wisebread.com/want-to-get-hired-be-memorable">Wise Bread</a>, an award-winning personal finance and <a href="http://www.wisebread.com/credit-cards">credit card comparison</a> website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:</div><div class="view view-similarterms view-id-similarterms view-display-id-block_2 view-dom-id-1">
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</div> </div><br/></br>Job Huntingjob interviewsonline job applicationsresume writingTue, 20 Sep 2011 10:24:16 +0000Meg Favreau712287 at http://www.wisebread.comNew Year, New Resumehttp://www.wisebread.com/new-year-new-resume
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<a href="/new-year-new-resume" class="imagecache imagecache-250w imagecache-linked imagecache-250w_linked"><img src="http://wisebread.killeracesmedia.netdna-cdn.com/files/fruganomics/imagecache/250w/blog-images/cinderella.jpg" alt="Cinderella" title="Cinderella" class="imagecache imagecache-250w" width="240" height="161" /></a> </div>
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<p>If one of your new year's resolutions to find a new job, maybe it's also time for a new resume. After all, isn't your current resume <em>so</em> 2010? Here are four tips for improving your resume for the new year.</p>
<h2>Be Unique</h2>
<p>If there is something unique or memorable about you or your work experience, include it in your resume (within reason). When I graduated from college, I had little enough work experience that it still made sense to include my high school job&nbsp;acting at an amusement park on my resume. In ever single job interview I had that year, the reviewers mentioned how my resume stood out because I used to work as Cinderella.</p>
<p>Once I had more work experience, I (reluctantly) knocked&nbsp;the amusement park&nbsp;off of my resume.&nbsp;But since&nbsp;then I've included a&nbsp;&ldquo;Special Skills&rdquo; section that briefly lists similarly memorable information.</p>
<p>Another great place to make yourself be memorable is in the subject line of&nbsp;your email if you&rsquo;re applying online. Online job postings can net hundreds or even thousands of responses that can be difficult to sift through. When I was a full-time freelance writer, I started changing the subject line of my emails from things like &ldquo;Experienced copywriter available&rdquo; to &ldquo;Spunky and experienced copywriter available.&rdquo; The number of responses I received shot up as soon as I made the unique addition of &quot;spunky.&quot;</p>
<h2>Be Honest</h2>
<p>Don't include skills because you think you can fudge your way through the interview and learn what you need to know before&nbsp;starting the job. If you really think you need to know how to use Photoshop or WordPress to get the kind of job you're looking for, take the time to learn now. Several employers test an&nbsp;interviewee's skills during the interview, making for pretty decent chances that you&nbsp;will get caught.</p>
<h2>Be Specific</h2>
<p>Look at how you describe your work experience. If you&rsquo;re only listing what your job responsibilities were, you could be doing yourself a disservice. Highlight tasks you worked on and their outcomes. Did you help streamline a regular office procedure? Head a major project that increased ROI? Include these on your resume.</p>
<h2>Be Succinct</h2>
<p>Unless a job asks for your full <a href="http://jobsearch.about.com/cs/curriculumvitae/a/curriculumvitae.htm">Curriculum Vitae</a>, it&rsquo;s best to keep your resume to a page. Include information that is the most pertinent to the job you are applying for, but without making it seem like there were major gaps in your employment (if you worked for five years as a&nbsp;chef and are applying to be an accountant, it&rsquo;s better to list your&nbsp;chef job than to make it appear as if there were five years you just didn&rsquo;t work). This might mean creating separate resumes for different job applications, but the time spent targeting your resumes can be worth it.</p>
<p>Want more resume-writing advice, or&nbsp;are you just starting out with your first resume? Check out Paul Michaels&rsquo;s <a href="http://www.wisebread.com/how-to-write-a-resume-12-steps-to-your-next-job">12 steps to writing a great resume</a>.</p>
<br /><div id="custom_wisebread_footer"><div id="rss_tagline">This article is from <a href="http://www.wisebread.com/meg-favreau">Meg Favreau</a> of <a href="http://www.wisebread.com/new-year-new-resume">Wise Bread</a>, an award-winning personal finance and <a href="http://www.wisebread.com/credit-cards">credit card comparison</a> website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:</div><div class="view view-similarterms view-id-similarterms view-display-id-block_2 view-dom-id-1">
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<span class="field-content"><a href="http://www.wisebread.com/want-to-get-hired-be-memorable">Want to Get Hired? Be Memorable.</a></span>
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</div> </div><br/></br>Job Huntingcustomized resumeNew Year'sresume writingMon, 03 Jan 2011 13:00:09 +0000Meg Favreau419027 at http://www.wisebread.comProfessional Resume Services: Are They Worth Paying For?http://www.wisebread.com/professional-resume-services-are-they-worth-paying-for
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<p>When you are preparing for the job search battle, the most important weapon that you will have at your arsenal is your resume, which may leave you to ponder whether you should write your resume yourself or have a professional resume service do it for you. It almost seems like a silly inquiry, because after all, if you don't know who you are then who does?</p>
<p>The fact is, however, that no matter how well you know yourself or how good you are at your job, if you cannot convey that onto your resume, you could just be wasting your time and efforts. Sometimes, hiring a professional resume service to write your resume for you is something that people have a hard time doing. They may feel deflated and think that they should be able to adequately write their own resume alone. This may even describe how you are feeling.</p>
<p>However, you cannot afford to let your ego or pride get in the way of ensuring that your resume is top notch, because face it, you are not the only one who will be applying for that dream job you have your eye on. In order for you to take full advantage of your opportunity, you need to be sure that you stand out significantly from the rest of the applicants. One sure way to accomplish this is with a resume that really pops and sparkles. Here are some of the advantages that a professional resume service can offer you.</p>
<h3>Create Your Resume</h3>
<p>This may seem like an obvious point, but it is true that a professional resume service will actually create your resume from scratch. A good resume service will want to conduct a sort of &quot;interview&quot; with you to ensure that they have an ample opportunity to get to know everything about you. You may also be asked to fill out a questionnaire and perhaps even provide them with your old resume. Really, the more information they ask you for the better, as the more they know about you the better their resume creation will be.</p>
<h3>Knowledge of Resumes</h3>
<p>Because professional resume services are in the business of creating resumes, they will be in the know of what potential employers are looking for. Certain fields require certain formats and finesse when it comes to what should be on a resume, and the resume writer assigned to create your resume will know all the ins and outs of your chosen field. They will also know how to adequately &quot;spruce&quot; up your resume in order to have it come off as a cut above rest.</p>
<h3>Experience and Skills</h3>
<p>There are<b> </b>several certifications that are given out in the world<b> </b>of professional resume services. There are certifications that can be obtained by the company itself and there are also certifications that can be obtained by the writers who work for the company. Finding those who are designated with such certifications is really quite simple. Most will proudly display the fact that they are certified in some way, such as an icon on their website, and if you do not see any certifications &mdash; just ask. When you work with a certified resume writing service and writer, you can rest assured that they have had to pass rigorous specifications in order to obtain the certifications themselves. In the case of the writers, being certified means that they have had to have their work judged and approved by some of the top resume writers in the industry.</p>
<h3>Confidence in Work</h3>
<p>A good professional resume service will always offer you a satisfaction guarantee of some kind. This guarantee will almost always consist of the resume service editing or fixing your resume for free until it is to your liking. Some resume services will even go as far as totally re-writing your resume if you do not see any results with your first version in a certain amount of time.</p>
<h3>Distribution</h3>
<p>Another nice perk that many professional resume services now offer is resume distribution. Again, these services are in the game of resume creation, and they will have a vast network that they will be able to use for the purpose of distributing your resume. This saves you time and greatly increases the chances that your phone will be ringing with calls from companies wanting you to come in for an interview.</p>
<p><b> </b></p>
<p>When you see all the benefits that come with hiring a professional resume writing service, it is hard to think of a reason why you would not want to. Yes you can go at it alone, but will you be able to offer yourself what the professional resume services can?</p>
<p>The most important thing to remember is that the professional resume service that you may hire will, in fact, be costing you money to retain. With that, you must be sure that the resume service you choose is a good fit for you and be sure that they will accomplish everything that you want them to. If the first resume service doesn't give you a good feeling, then try another one. There are plenty out there that are both reputable and affordable, as well.</p>
<p>The bottom line is that writing a resume is an art form much like anything else. Unless you are an accomplished writer, it is probably in your best interest to hire a professional to help you out with your resume. While it will cost you money, won't it be worth it if you are able to land your dream job that much faster as a result of hiring them? Yes, you can save money by writing your own resume, but you can also save money by making your own suit for an interview. Ultimately though, neither approach may be advisable or land you the job you have always wanted.</p>
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<div class="field-label">Guest Post Blurb:&nbsp;</div>
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<p>This is a guest post by Jason Kay. Jason is a professional resume writer and owner of <a href="http://www.jobgoround.com">JobGoRound.com</a>, a career advice website that provides practical guidelines for every phase of the job search cycle. He is a regular contributor to many top job search websites on topics such as resume writing, interviewing, and workplace issues. Learn more about resumes on JobGoGround.com:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.jobgoround.com/how-to-write-an-executive-resume.html">How to Write an Executive Resume</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.jobgoround.com/where-to-post-your-resume.html">Where to Post Your Resume</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.jobgoround.com/review_resume_writers.php">Resume Service Reviews - Compare the Best Resume Services</a></li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<br /><div id="custom_wisebread_footer"><div id="rss_tagline">This article is from <a href="http://www.wisebread.com/jason-kay">Jason Kay</a> of <a href="http://www.wisebread.com/professional-resume-services-are-they-worth-paying-for">Wise Bread</a>, an award-winning personal finance and <a href="http://www.wisebread.com/credit-cards">credit card comparison</a> website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:</div><div class="view view-similarterms view-id-similarterms view-display-id-block_2 view-dom-id-2">
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</div> </div><br/></br>Career Buildingjob searchresume writingresumesTue, 02 Mar 2010 14:00:03 +0000Jason Kay5539 at http://www.wisebread.comAwesome Accomplishments: 50+ Questions to Ask Yourself and Figure Out What You've Donehttp://www.wisebread.com/awesome-accomplishments-50-questions-to-ask-yourself-and-figure-out-what-youve-done
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<p>Figuring out what you've&nbsp;accomplished at work is essential to demonstrating your value to&nbsp;employers and clients.&nbsp;Though some people are keenly aware of their accomplishments (a sales representative, for example, can usually tell me how much she increased sales or how many new accounts he landed), others stumble. Often, these other folks&nbsp;have made great contributions,&nbsp;but don't have&nbsp;highly visible results.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Here are 50+ questions to jumpstart the process of articulating&nbsp;awesome accomplishments. Use them to help&nbsp;write your resume, elaborate on why&nbsp;you are the perfect candidate for a position, or create talking points for a presentation.</p>
<p><strong>To get warmed up or just to stir your recollection,&nbsp;ask yourself: </strong></p>
<ul>
<li>What were things* like when you started your new job and how did they improve while you were there?&nbsp;(*the condition&nbsp;of the company, division, department, etc.)</li>
<li>How is your performance measured and did you reach any performance targets? (You don't have to mention the ones that you missed, if any; but rather highlight the targets you met and/or exceeded.)</li>
<li>What did your boss say he/she wanted you to achieve when you were hired?</li>
<li>What do you feel you've accomplished, regardless of what your current boss or colleagues may think?&nbsp;(Note:&nbsp;working in a dysfunctional workplace isn't considered a noteworthy or resume-worthy accomplishment but showing results in difficult economic situations or during major leadership changes can be)</li>
</ul>
<h2><strong>Actions</strong></h2>
<p><strong>What amazing&nbsp;actions did you take?&nbsp;Did you: </strong></p>
<ol>
<li>&nbsp;open new accounts?</li>
<li>&nbsp;establish&nbsp;new channels of distribution?</li>
<li>&nbsp;create an infrastructure for any function(s)?</li>
<li>&nbsp;design and/or implement standard operating procedures?</li>
<li>&nbsp;develop the professional capabilities of people who were then promoted to positions of greater accountability and/or who outperformed peers?</li>
<li>&nbsp;add&nbsp;new products or streamline SKUs?</li>
<li>&nbsp;originate new merchandise categories?</li>
<li>&nbsp;increase&nbsp;inventory turns?</li>
<li>&nbsp;develop or strengthen vendor partnerships?</li>
<li>&nbsp;establish a VMI&nbsp;(<a href="http://www.openforum.com/idea-hub/topics/money/article/how-to-use-vendor-managed-inventory-programs-julie-rains">vendor-managed inventory</a>) program?</li>
<li>&nbsp;launch a new brand?</li>
<li>&nbsp;start a private label?</li>
<li>&nbsp;develop a training program?</li>
<li>&nbsp;more closely define customer preferences?</li>
<li>&nbsp;initiate and/or manage a major project?</li>
<li>&nbsp;renegotiate contracts?</li>
<li>&nbsp;reengineer&nbsp;business processes?</li>
<li>&nbsp;restructure organizations?</li>
<li>&nbsp;write or&nbsp;redesign job descriptions?</li>
<li>&nbsp;reach new audiences?</li>
<li>&nbsp;grow subscribers or membership base?&nbsp;</li>
<li>&nbsp;improve the accuracy of sales forecasts?&nbsp;</li>
<li>&nbsp;start a new division?</li>
<li>&nbsp;grow your&nbsp;referral base?</li>
<li>&nbsp;begin sourcing or production in a new region or country?</li>
<li>&nbsp;start <a href="http://www.openforum.com/idea-hub/topics/money/article/when-to-outsource-for-your-small-business-nora-dunn">outsourcing tasks</a>?</li>
<li>&nbsp;expand your presence to a new geographic territory?</li>
<li>&nbsp;establish&nbsp;quality standards?</li>
<li>&nbsp;institute quality review processes?</li>
<li>&nbsp;create a vendor scorecard?</li>
<li>&nbsp;start&nbsp;evaluating vendor performance?</li>
<li>&nbsp;initiate vendor chargebacks?</li>
<li>&nbsp;write an employee or vendor manual?</li>
<li>&nbsp;design forms or templates?</li>
<li>&nbsp;introduce and/or direct&nbsp;programs&nbsp;that resulted in regulatory compliance or achievement of certain industry standards?&nbsp;</li>
<li>&nbsp;expand or consolidate your vendor base?</li>
<li>&nbsp;accelerate product development?</li>
<li>&nbsp;implement new technology-based solutions or lead technology integrations?</li>
<li>&nbsp;win support from internal or external groups?</li>
<li>&nbsp;create&nbsp;a reference library or archives of key information?</li>
<li>&nbsp;accelerate month-end reporting?</li>
<li>&nbsp;tighten&nbsp;financial or operational controls?</li>
<li>&nbsp;improve&nbsp;inventory accuracy?</li>
<li>&nbsp;decrease order-to-delivery lead times or speed-to-market times?</li>
<li>&nbsp;design and/or institute order tracking or call tracking systems?</li>
<li>&nbsp;start a safety program?</li>
<li>&nbsp;introduce new employee benefits or <a href="http://www.openforum.com/idea-hub/topics/money/article/10-myths-about-employee-incentive-programs-lynn-truong">incentive programs</a>?</li>
<li>&nbsp;inaugurate new invoicing procedures or payment methods?</li>
<li>&nbsp;equip employees for new or expanded assignments?</li>
<li>&nbsp;automate a process previously performed manually?</li>
<li>&nbsp;eliminate unnecessary&nbsp;or redundant&nbsp;processes?</li>
<li>&nbsp;design a business continuity plan?</li>
<li><a href="http://www.openforum.com/idea-hub/topics/money/article/accounts-receivable-nightmares-collecting-on-delinquent-accounts-nora-dunn">speed up collections</a>?</li>
<li>get rid of unprofitable product lines or customer accounts?</li>
<li><a href="http://www.openforum.com/idea-hub/topics/money/article/8-ways-great-service-prevents-chargebacks-julie-rains">align services with customer requirements</a>?</li>
<li>do something else?</li>
</ol>
<h2><strong>Results</strong></h2>
<p><strong>As a result of these actions, did&nbsp;you </strong></p>
<ul>
<li>increase sales?</li>
<li>reduce costs?</li>
<li>improve profits?</li>
<li>grow market share?</li>
<li>increase service levels?</li>
<li>achieve better quality or consistency?</li>
<li>reduce customer returns?</li>
<li>improve&nbsp;safety and/or reduce risk?</li>
<li>speed up cash flow?</li>
<li>reduce debt load?</li>
<li>boost productivity?</li>
<li>lower employee turnover?</li>
<li>reverse business losses or declining trends?</li>
<li>improve company's reputation?</li>
<li>elevate sustainability?</li>
<li>position the company for future growth?</li>
</ul>
<p>Use these questions to brainstorm and then start defining your accomplishments. You can take this process to a higher level by defining the challenges you may have faced; for example:&nbsp;you may have been hired amid a public scandal, pending lawsuit, or major competitive threat.</p>
<p>Many people wonder about the line that separates duties and company expectations from real accomplishments. A few months ago, for example, I spoke with someone who had delivered double-digit improvements to his work area but because these stellar results were&nbsp;&quot;expected&quot; by the company, he hadn't deemed them worthy of an official accomplishment. So, the line between accountabilities and accomplishments is not always crystal clear -- figure out what's typical in your field and show how you excelled.&nbsp;</p>
<br /><div id="custom_wisebread_footer"><div id="rss_tagline">This article is from <a href="http://www.wisebread.com/julie-rains">Julie Rains</a> of <a href="http://www.wisebread.com/awesome-accomplishments-50-questions-to-ask-yourself-and-figure-out-what-youve-done">Wise Bread</a>, an award-winning personal finance and <a href="http://www.wisebread.com/credit-cards">credit card comparison</a> website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:</div><div class="view view-similarterms view-id-similarterms view-display-id-block_2 view-dom-id-3">
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</div> </div><br/></br>Career Buildingaccomplishmentsresume writingFri, 25 Sep 2009 14:00:02 +0000Julie Rains3624 at http://www.wisebread.comHow Online Job Boards Can Actually Help A Job Search http://www.wisebread.com/how-online-job-boards-can-actually-help-a-job-search
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<p>There was a brief period, before the last recession, when my career-services clients actually found jobs on online job boards. They&rsquo;d post r&eacute;sum&eacute;s, and interview requests and job offers quickly followed. For the past several years, though, clients have told me that they felt as if online applications led to a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_hole_(disambiguation)">black hole</a>: r&eacute;sum&eacute;s were submitted but companies never made contact; even a rejection letter would have meant progress, indicating that a human was somehow involved in the decision-making process. Though I don&rsquo;t recommend online boards as a direct path to a new position, I do find them extremely useful in a job search.</p>
<p>For someone launching a job search, online job boards can provide a wealth of information. I have had consistently good results with <a href="http://home.monster.com/">monster.com</a>&nbsp;though there are many other general boards,&nbsp;industry niche&nbsp;boards,&nbsp;and aggregators of job listings, such as <a href="http://careerbuilder.com/">careerbuilder.com</a>, <a href="http://www.indeed.com/">indeed.com</a>, and <a href="http://www.dice.com/">dice.com</a>. My focus is on finding well-written, detailed job descriptions that indicate specific responsibilities and requirements. Many descriptions are vague and useless to me; others, however, seem to have been constructed to outline highly specific needs for real jobs with viable companies. A bit of fluff promoting the company and its tremendous benefits and great working environment is fine but should&nbsp;be accompanied by a multi-bulleted list of duties beginning with an overview and then mentioning key areas of accountability as well as position requirements.</p>
<p>Here's what I use these job descriptions for:</p>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"><b>Do a reality check</b>. One of the first things that a job seeker should do is define his ideal job or target position based not only on career goals but also on education, experiences, knowledge, and skills. Figuring out whether such a position actually exists is a natural next step, made pretty easy with a keyword search.</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt">&nbsp;</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"><b>Pinpoint a job title. </b>A job title is useful in conveying goals to a hiring manager in words that she&rsquo;ll understand. Postings with position descriptions can be useful in matching real-world job accountabilities with a job seeker&rsquo;s professional capabilities. Though organizational structures may vary among companies, there will often be enough similarities to pinpoint a job title. Job seekers can then reference this title in communications with potential employers or those who may offer referrals, and use the title in searches of the careers' sections of target employers.&nbsp;</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt">&nbsp;</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"><b>Uncover obstacles to landing that perfect job. </b>In some cases, a job seeker has most, but not all, of the qualifications. Not being a perfect candidate shouldn&rsquo;t rule out searching for that type of position. But, if certain skill sets or types of experiences are requested repeatedly by a number of employers, then a job seeker could consider taking a class or learning a new technology, for example, or figuring out how to communicate why his experience is similar to the experience requested by the hiring manager. &nbsp;</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt">&nbsp;</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"><b>See what companies are hiring and where the jobs are. </b>Though I like to read articles about what industries are hot, what companies are hiring, and which geographical areas are experiencing an economic boom, I use specific job postings with real companies to make decisions about where to concentrate a search.</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt">&nbsp;</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"><b>Refine or write the r&eacute;sum&eacute;.</b> My modus operandi is to create a first draft of a r&eacute;sum&eacute; and then use job descriptions to make adjustments. I might add a position duty or a computer skill that seemed insignificant but appears on most job postings. For a job seeker writing her own r&eacute;sum&eacute;, the online job descriptions could be useful in creating or fleshing out&nbsp;the r&eacute;sum&eacute;.</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt">&nbsp;</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"><b>Find keywords. </b>Job seekers may be fearful that they won&rsquo;t use the right keywords and their r&eacute;sum&eacute;s will never be selected by computerized screening systems. Scrutinizing well-written, detailed job responsibilities and requirements&nbsp;can provide the job seeker with current keywords.</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"><b>&nbsp;</b></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"><b>Craft a cover letter. </b>Customizing each cover letter to match the exact requirements of each target job can be time-consuming and energy-zapping. Instead, craft the letter to meet the descriptions and requirements for a handful of similar positions, and use that letter as the base for subsequent letters.</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt">&nbsp;</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt">I typically don't give unsolicited advice to individual clients, but, if asked, I will mention that putting oneself&nbsp;out there (posting a r&eacute;sum&eacute; for anyone to see, with no privacy settings) has not been particularly fruitful for many job seekers. To avoid the black hole of Internet searching, some clients have found that referrals from business associates (former co-workers, vendors, and customers), direct inquiries to targeted companies, and communications with those in industry or trade groups are more helpful than blindly posting to online job boards.</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt">&nbsp;</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt">Have you used online job boards to find a job lately?&nbsp;Share your experiences in the comments.</div>
<br /><div id="custom_wisebread_footer"><div id="rss_tagline">This article is from <a href="http://www.wisebread.com/julie-rains">Julie Rains</a> of <a href="http://www.wisebread.com/how-online-job-boards-can-actually-help-a-job-search">Wise Bread</a>, an award-winning personal finance and <a href="http://www.wisebread.com/credit-cards">credit card comparison</a> website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:</div><div class="view view-similarterms view-id-similarterms view-display-id-block_2 view-dom-id-1">
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</div> </div><br/></br>Career BuildingProductivityjob descriptionsjob search onlinejob searchingkeywordsonline job boardsresume writingThu, 04 Jun 2009 16:22:04 +0000Julie Rains3228 at http://www.wisebread.com